..the most evocative and atmospheric experiences were conveyed entirely through text. Text adventures, with their terse locations, thrived on the role of objects, which were there to be discovered, smashed, used, examined and combined: you find the lamp, but now you need the oil to fill it and the match to light it. Only then will the dark room become illuminated. —In the early days of computer gaming… (Things Magazine)

I really enjoy this author’s writing style. The paragraphs are a bit long as far as Internet conventions go, but numerous inline links break up the paragraphs, so that the author can cover a wide range of territory in just a few condensed sentences.

Update, 25 Oct: Torill picks up on this blog entry and offers far more thoughtful comments than I did.